Kristiansand Cathedral

Historie

Kristiansand Cathedral is a cathedral in Kristiansand municipality in Vest-Agder county, Norway. It is located in the Kvadraturen area in the central part of the city of Kristiansand. The church is the main church for the Kristiansand domkirken parish and it is the seat of the Kristiansand arch-deanery within the Diocese of Agder og Telemark. The cathedral is also the seat of the Bishop of Agder and Telemark. The brick church was completed in 1885 and it is one of the largest cathedrals in Norway. This cathedral is the fourth church and third cathedral to be located on this site over the centuries.OverviewKristiansand Cathedral is a Neo-Gothic church built of brick and cement. The church is of cruciform plan with 1750 seats. The church was designed by the architect Henrik Thrap-Meyer and construction began in 1880 and it was completed on 1 February 1885. The church was consecrated on 18 March 1885 by the provost Johan M. Brun who was serving as acting bishop.The cathedral is long and wide. The steeple is 70m in height. Originally the cathedral had 2,029 seats and room for an additional 1,216 people to stand, but seating has now been reduced so the building can comfortably seat about 1,000. To re-use the walls of the previous cathedral, which burned down in 1880, the altar was positioned at the west end, rather than in the traditional position in the east.